The field of the invention relates generally to industrial systems and, more particularly, to housing assemblies for use with industrial systems.
At least some known industrial systems, such as power generation systems, include various electrical systems, such as, for example, turbine control equipment, generator controls, exciter controls, and/or static starter controls. Such electrical systems generally require protection against various factors, such as dust particles and water. More specifically, contaminants, such as dust particles and/or water, may cause damage to the electrical system if such contaminants contact the system. Moreover, continued operation with such contaminants within the electrical system may lead to a premature failure of the electrical system and/or the higher-level system which the electrical system, such as the control system controls. To prevent such failures, at least some electrical systems are housed within a structure, such as a housing or a cabinet. For example, many industrial control and electronic systems are mounted inside sheet metal cabinets that have an Industrial Protection (IP) rating of 20 or 21. Specifically, a cabinet with an IP20 rating is protected against touch by a finger, but is not protected against liquids, whereas a cabinet with an IP21 rating protected against touch by a finger and is also protected against condensation. Many power generation systems require additional protection and use cabinets with an IP54 rating that also protects against dust ingress and water spray from any direction.
Many power generation facilities may require an upgrade of their IP20 and/or IP21 cabinet to a cabinet that offers better protection, such as an IP54 cabinet. However, making such an upgrade is costly, tedious, and time consuming. More specifically, as part of an upgrade process, a facility may also be forced to modify their industrial control and power electronics equipment to enable such equipment to be properly mounted within the cabinet.